ROI Major

Classics and Classical Languages at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 16.12

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Classics and Classical Languages degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn a median salary of $52,508 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,800. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.9 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$38,623

Typical Career

$52,508

Top Performers

$67,768

Estimated break-even: 9.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$350

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,376. Most students can comfortably afford about a $350 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 18.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.7%
Educational Services 12.9%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$55,800

Nominal: $52,508 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

9.9 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $28,507 $36,491 $48,487
5 Years After Graduation $38,623 $52,508 $67,768
10 Years After Graduation $49,513 $73,157 $97,392

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $52,508 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $52,508 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $55,800 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Classics and Classical Languages from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities experience a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $36,491, increasing to $52,508 after five years and reaching $73,157 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of approximately $55,800.21, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Minnesota.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (18.1%), Health Care & Social Assistance (14.7%), and Educational Services (12.9%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 9.9 years, suggesting that while the initial financial return may be modest, the long-term benefits of a degree in this field can be significant. Overall, the investment in a Classics and Classical Languages degree appears to offer a reasonable return on investment, particularly for those entering fields that value critical thinking and communication skills.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Classics and Classical Languages degree at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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